The Atrocities Of Hamas

Ha'aretz is reporting that Hamas has virtually taken control of all of Gaza except Gaza City itself. Having run out of Fatah gunmen to shoot (or to give flying lessons to) they have decided to shoot civilians for fun.

At least 14 Palestinians were killed by Hamas fire Wednesday, including 13 members of Fatah, as Hamas was on the verge of completing its conquest of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas is now in control of southern, central, and northern Gaza, with Fatah's only remaining significant positions located in Gaza City.

One civilian was killed when some 1,000 Palestinians marched through Gaza City chanting "stop the killing" – only to draw gunfire from Hamas militants at a nearby police station seized from Fatah a day earlier.

Hamas gave Fatah-linked security officers in northern Gaza a two-day ultimatum to relinquish their arms, according to a statement sent by text message and announcements made on Hamas-linked radio stations Wednesday.

The militant group said that if the security forces don't turn over their weapons by 7 P.M. Friday, they will take the weapons by force.

Eight Fatah men were killed in fierce fighting near the home of senior Fatah official Maher Mekdad. Mekdad was able to escape, but Hamas took control of the area.

Hamas seized control of the refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip, after it swept into the central Gaza headquarters of Abbas' powerful National Security Forces facing only token resistance.

Hamas has systematically taken control of security positions in the north and south, apparently leaving the main battle for the Strip's security and political nerve center in Gaza City for last.

An announcer on a Hamas radio station said the offensive would proceed to the Abbas' compound and the National Security Forces headquarters in Gaza City.

At least 15 Palestinians were wounded Wednesday, including five civilians, two of whom are in serious condition.

And the press is still tapdancing. They are not calling this a civil war, even though territory is being seized by force. They are still allowing the Palestinians to claim that they are the victims of "outside forces".